Rest My Chemistry
by Utsukushii Kohana
Summary: This wasn't supposed to happen. It was only supposed to be about the fun, the thrill, the excitement. It wasn't supposed to get so out of control, so bad that they couldn't stop it.
1. Prologue

**Rest My Chemistry**

* * *

******Prologue**  


* * *

This wasn't supposed to happen. It was only supposed to be about the fun, the thrill, the excitement. It wasn't supposed to get so out of control, so badly that they couldn't do anything about it anymore to stop it from happening. Drama/Romance

**A/N: **Inspired by the song "Rest My Chemistry" by the most talented, wonderful and outstanding band _Interpol_.

**Disclaimer: **Don't own.

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This wasn't supposed to happen.

It was only supposed to be about the fun, the thrill, the excitement. It wasn't supposed to get so out of control, so badly that they couldn't do anything about it anymore to stop it from happening.

With salty, fresh tears pricking her eyes, she watched how the burgundy-coloured coffin being lowered into the open grave and she couldn't bear it any longer, letting the droplets fall from the coaled-rims of her eyes, running down her cheeks, leaving a thin black line along the way and splashing on the wood of the coffin as it disappeared from her sight into the dark hole in the earth. Then she saw how everyone clad in nothing but black, sobbing or having an expressionless twist on their faces, turn around to leave this depressing scenery, but she didn't follow their lead.

She just couldn't leave this place, knowing he wouldn't come along with her, knowing she'd never see him again, touch him again, kiss him again, simply just be with him again.

She just broke down, then and there, realising this was the end.

It was only supposed to be about the fun, the thrill, the excitement. It wasn't supposed to get so out of control, so badly that they couldn't do anything about it anymore to stop it from happening.

This wasn't supposed to happen.

And yet, somehow, it did.

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**A/N:** Liked it? Hated it? Suggestions? Tell me by leaving a review, because it's always appreciated.

_12/16/2007_


	2. Chapter I

**Rest My Chemistry**

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**Chapter I  
**Orientation Day

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This wasn't supposed to happen. It was only supposed to be about the fun, the thrill, the excitement. It wasn't supposed to get so out of control, so badly that they couldn't do anything about it anymore to stop it from happening.

**A:N: **Oh God, longest delay ever. I'm so sorry for having to take over three years to update. I hope you guys are still reading this, though. Anyways just a reminder that this is an AU so I've skewed the ages a bit and gave Caleb a surname. Happy reading!

* * *

Caleb McGraw was in the mood for a good fuck.

The kind that caused head buzzing, electric thrills fizzing through veins, glistened sweating, and bodies trembling as torrents of shivers shot through.

Basically the kind that left him completely senseless and completely numb.

Perhaps with a few bruises, teeth marks and the pleasant type of back ache. All the more fun.

Unfortunately, he didn't have the time for it now.

Today was the first day of his senior year at college and even though he had been looking forward to this moment since his freshman year, he didn't like having been elected as an orientation leader. With that came responsibility. With that came commitments. And with that came frustration. But there was one plus side to it: he got the chance to check out the new batch of female students and maybe there were a few amongst them who'd be worthy (and lucky) to end up underneath him.

His options were getting to be scarce after all. In the three years that he attended university, he had gained a well admired reputation in the romancing department and he had enjoyed every little bit of it, but lately... well, lately he didn't acquire any satisfaction from it anymore. There wasn't anyone who enticed him the way it had before, when he started out.

He didn't really understand why that was, though. He used to want to screw anyone who simply breathed and could walk around in a skirt, but all summer and even a few months of his junior year, he had gotten picky.

Caleb didn't know what he wanted anymore.

His friends joked that he might be gay.

Caleb responded by grabbing the first pretty girl he met and ended up in a shack making out with her. Admittedly he liked the way she moved rhythmically as he thrust deeper and deeper, pressed firmly against the back wall and how she finally screamed out his name after having bitten on her lip harshly as an attempt to stay quiet.

He came out smirking victoriously at his friends, proven them wrong.

Yet he felt empty. Or rather _bored_.

And he still felt bored.

That event on the beach trip with his friends wasn't the last time he had a fuck, but it was the first time he noticed he felt that way. And with that came frustration.

He blinked out of his reverie, brushing the trail of thoughts away with a mere nonchalant shrug.

Then with a quick final drag from his cigarette, he snuffed it out and went to join his fellow orientation leaders outside.

Gretchen, a now senior whom he had fooled around with during the third month at college, in charge of the orientation organisation, handed him the yellow folder, assigning him to Creswell Hall.

With a sigh, he shouted for every freshmen with a yellow folder to gather around him. He surveyed the crowd, brown brows knit in dismay as not one of those girls appealed to him.

Until he saw her.

* * *

Cornelia Hale felt the urge to go hurl all her guts out in the toilet but suppressed it. Everything was just so overwhelming and it was too much for her to handle, making her head spin and making her feel dizzy. She was trying to find where her dorm was on this enormous campus, which was swarmed with students walking around, playing around and passing flyers around. She'd already gotten three differently coloured sheets of papers stuffed in her hands. ("Party Thursday at Weisman Hall free jell-o shots for freshmen. Be there." "Rally to support women's rights." "Jesus Christ is our lord and saviour.") Suddenly she felt as though an invisible hand was choking her, unable to breathe and went to sit down to calm down, slowly inhaling and exhaling, as she gripped her hair, blue eyes squeezed shut.

She really didn't want to be here.

She didn't want to be noticed.

She just wanted to fade away.

Or rather just wished someone would dig a hole where she could crawl in and be left alone until the day she died.

Why was she here again?

Oh, right, her parents forced her to enrol at the university. They felt that after her therapy sessions of two year that she was ready.

But really she wasn't.

She still had an anxiety disorder.

And after those two years she was convinced that the old men in tweed suit jackets with horn-rimmed glasses only pretended to listen to her stories, only pretended to jot down every word with their fancy, over-priced, name-engraved fountain pens. She was convinced they listed every item they needed to buy in the grocery store in their heads and then jot down some doodles, or some text-book quotes they could use on her later since they all said the same at the end:

_Take some initiative. Go out and meet new people. Do something._

_Be more positive._

She could taste the vomit in her mouth.

Be more positive... How could she after what happened? Even her father gave her this strange, incomprehensive speech on how he keeps all the colours on the palette of life separate and thus maintains an uncomplicated life, while she mixes too much until she has no colour left.

She knew he meant well.

But she still couldn't fathom what was going through his mind when he uttered those words.

Then she heard a voice, a low soothing baritone, calling out every freshmen with a yellow folder to gather around him. She looked up to see where the voice came from after she glanced at her folder (a yellow one, how lucky) which she had gotten when she picked up her ID card. She scrambled to her feet, slung her messenger bag that was lying on the ground by her trembling feet around her shoulder again, adjusted the strap and went to find her orientation leader.

To match the voice was a young man, a few years or so older than her, ruggedly handsome with thick, straight hair that was a lovely shade of milk chocolate brown, random strands falling over his eyes.

His forest green eyes met her electric blue.

Cornelia looked away, fully aware that her pale skin tinged pink and clutched the handle of her wheelie bag tighter, as a desperate attempt to keep her blush under control.

He told the group that they belonged to Creswell Hall and just had to follow him to dump their belongings in their respective dorms to then join in on the scheduled events.

As she went to follow them, her wheelie bag was stuck in some crack causing her to trip forward and bump into the girl in front of her, the blue slushy staining Cornelia's sundress. She heard a few girls giggling at her while walking away with the rest, and noticed even the handsome youth looking on from the corner of his eyes, dismissing the scene evasively, as she tried to remove most content with a tissue and just gave up.

So much for her wish of fading away, she thought, as she hurried after the orientation group.

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**A/N:** Hate it, love it, review it.

_5/24/2011_


	3. Chapter II

**Rest My Chemistry**

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**Chapter II  
**Coffee and Conversations

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This wasn't supposed to happen. It was only supposed to be about the fun, the thrill, the excitement. It wasn't supposed to get so out of control, so badly that they couldn't do anything about it anymore to stop it from happening.

* * *

It was raining.

Heavily.

Black sheets of rain were falling from the dark grey sky, drenching the town and the people completely. The clouds were rolling together with a few cracklings of lightning appearing from between them, followed by a rumbling of thunder after a few minutes.

She never much cared for storm-y weather. Hated it, in fact. And thus was very happy once she stood underneath the awning of the Starbucks building, her breath laboured after having to run once the terrible rainfall started. Once she had caught her breath again, she closed her umbrella and then shook it slightly to lose the fat, glutinous drops, causing them to splatter on a middle-aged couple who were hurriedly seeking refuge from the rain right next to her.

"Oh, sorry," she apologised, embarrassedly, her pink glossy lips upturned into an awkward half-way grin with her eyebrows knit together. The pale skin of her cheeks tinged a bright pink. They didn't even bother to respond properly: the woman shot her an irritated glance while the man simply ignored her, clamping his wife's hand which was curled around his arm tighter.

"Ok then," she muttered to herself, then rushed inside where a phalanx of coffee swigging people was scattered around the ground floor.

Fortune was finally on her side as she noticed that the line to order was very small, practically non-existent. She contemplated whether to order already or wait until her friend arrived but then she figured, after having checked the watch dangling from her slender wrist, that he'd arrive shortly and that there could be a waiting line until then. So she opted to request what she and her friend would like to purchase and hold a seat for him at a table for two.

She flopped into the one available couch in the back, crossing her legs easily and shrugging out of her trench coat as she tugged her tote bag between her feet on the ground and placed her polka-dotted umbrella against the wall. She dug her fingers into her jeans pocket, pulling out her cell phone to text him where she was sitting and then snapped it shut, laying it down on the little table in front of her.

As she predicted, it didn't take long (just a minute or two) until he walked through the door, completely soaked yet his hair had miraculously remained straight and smooth as usual, while other people's hair (like hers) had an alarming and unnatural tendency to frizz everywhere, looking around frantically to find her through squinted eyes.

She chuckled at his clumsy behaviour before waving him over. "Eric, over here!" she shouted, feeling a bit awkward as everyone cast their eyes on her briefly.

He waved back, a broad smile spreading across his face, and he wiped the soles of his shoes dry on the welcome mat and then went to join her.

"Hey stranger."

He leaned over and kissed her sweetly on the cheek, after she had replied with a soft hi. He sat down on the slat dining chair in front of her, fingering the zipper of his Harrington jacket, about to pull it downwards but then cocked his head to the counter, eyeing her from the corner of his topaz brown eyes while saying,

"Perhaps I should go place my order first. I'll be back in a jiffy."

"No need," she said, smiling, "I already did it for both of us."

"And who's to say I want what you ordered for me?"

"Because, even though you like to vary as much as possible, when it comes to our Starbucks dates you always order a China green tea and a marble pound cake which you always split with me," she replied wryly, peering at him with a confident sparkle in her eyes as he unzipped his jacket and slung it around his chair. "Why are you wearing your Harrington jacket without bringing an umbrella with you when they had forecast rain on the weather news?"

He laughed. "First _you_ always order the marble pound cake but half-way through you can't eat no more so I have to finish it for you." A pause and a sly grin appeared on his soft, warm features. "Not that I mind of course. It became such a routine that we always share it right away."

She smiled.

She liked that about him. They'd known each other for so long, and with that he had become the only person she was truly comfortable around, despite their personalities being so different.

He was very eccentric. He was the most creative person she had ever met. His brain burst with imagination. He had the most unconventional ideas and tendencies, while she was more conservative and down-to-earth.

Eric Lyndon was, to describe him with one word, quirky.

"Secondly," he continued, "I don't listen to the weather forecasts. I like to be surprised."

She rolled her eyes but couldn't help smiling.

Yes, definitely quirky.

"So, how was your first week at college?"

"It was okay. Nothing special," she replied evasively.

"Come on, you can share more details than that with me. How about classes? How's the schedule? What's your roommate like?"

She sighed, annoyed. "There's honestly not much to say. Orientation day was horrible. An utter disaster."

"What happened?"

"Well, I felt sick when I arrived on the campus and I accidentally bumped into this girl and her slushy got spilled all over my dress. And I loved that dress!" she wailed, a frown tugging on her lips, "They all laughed at me. Then it got even wo—," she began to proceed but then was abruptly interrupted by the auburn-haired girl behind the counter.

"Miss Hale, your order is ready."

Cornelia sent her a quick nod, indicating she'd be there to gather it in a second. She picked up her bag, put it on her lap and rummaged through the mess of all her items to find her wallet.

"Sometimes I don't know why I still use this enormous bag. I can never find the stuff that I need," she groaned loudly.

Eric smiled amused. "I'll go get it. It's on me this time." And without waiting for a reply from her, he walked off toward the counter.

Cornelia had to admit that her best friend was very attractive. He was tall and lean, her eyes straying from his broad shoulders to the slope of his slim hips, and she followed his long legs down to the ancient Reebok sneakers on his feet, which were covered by the tattered hems of his too-long, loose-fitting but not-too-baggy jeans. His hair was pitch-black, shaggy, tousled and straight, and a bit long, covering the nape of his neck and falling in his dark champagne-coloured with brown flecks eyes. He had high cheekbones models would die for and the smile on his face was sweet and warm and so genuine that it made his eyes gleam with mirth every time.

Her train of thoughts got disrupted when she heard a pencil roll on the ground, bumping against her heel. She bent forward to pick it up and when she came back up, she faced a petite Asian girl with the longest pony-tails she had ever seen on someone in real life.

"Sorry," she spoke up, timidly. Cornelia could tell by the way the girl shifted on her feet multiple times and how she kept toying with the fringes of her sweater. She then thanked Cornelia with a meek voice as she took the pencil from her outstretched hand and turned around briskly to head back to her seat, two tables away.

Cornelia peered at the sketchbook that was publicly accessible on the piece of furniture. Apparently it was a rough sketch of the Starbucks scenery with a young couple completely coloured in, making them stand out.

"It's very pretty, by the way."

The girl looked at her, wonderment reading across her face.

"The drawing I mean," she added.

"Thanks," she managed to stammer out, looking ridiculously pleased.

"Who was that?" Eric queried, while he placed the platter which contained their drinks and cake on the table, and went to sit down next to his friend on the couch.

"I have no idea. I didn't catch her name."

Eric hmm'd and replied, absent-mindedly, "She's cute."

Cornelia smirked, wiggling her eyebrows almost suggestively and Eric's face froze in a scowl.

"No," was the sole response and he dropped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him. "You were about to tell me your orientation day adventure."

She levelled him with a glare that was meant to be deathly but caved in and continued her story, "Well, our orientation leader gave us a tour around Creswell Hall, where I stay, and after that we went to the dining hall where all kinds of appetisers and a few get-to-know-each-other-games awaited us, and when I ate one of those little pizzas I choked on it."

"Ouch." He began to stroke her arm soothingly with his hand.

"It was so embarrassing. I'm glad that Caleb guy performed the Heimlich on me and rescued me from a death in a cafeteria."

"Caleb guy?"

"The orientation leader. And not to sound too preppy but such a hunksicle. Of course not comparable with—," she stopped, her voice hitching in her throat and her eyes clouding over.

Eric averted his eyes, dropping and he retracted his arm, pushing his hands into the pockets of his hooded sweater instead.

"I'm sorry," she said, breaking the minute silence, "I didn't mean to bring him up again."

"It's ok," he replied automatically.

"My roommate is nice, though. Her name is Elyon and apparently she has a boyfriend named William. And classes are ok, most of them are scheduled in the afternoon so that I can sleep in."

"What did you choose as your science requirement?"

She chuckled. She expected him to ask that because he was crazy about science and wanted to major in astronomy since he was five years old, set on following in his grandfather's footsteps.

"Psychology," she answered, "I really liked the first class. And before you ask I am still undecided on my major. What about you?"

He swallowed the chunk of cake first. "College is cool. My roommate seems to keep to himself, though. He is barely around and smokes and just utters a simple hi to me. Despite his behaviour, I'm really loving it. We even have a sci-fi club and I plan on enrolling Monday."

"That's great." She took a sip from her paper cup.

"What did you order, actually?"

"Cinnamon dolce latte."

"As usual. You know, why don't we switch our drinks so that we break our Starbucks tradition for once?"

"No, I like our custom just the way it is," she smiled, and she linked her non-coffee drinking arm with his.

And she never wanted them to change.

* * *

**A/N:** Chapter was longer than expected. Lots of characters semi-introduced. More on Cornelia. I know it's very AU-ish but it's fun to write these characters in a college setting. And I also had lots of fun writing the Eric/Cornelia interaction.

Tell me what you think! :)


	4. Chapter III

**Rest My Chemistry**

* * *

**Chapter III  
**Deep Sunrise

* * *

This wasn't supposed to happen. It was only supposed to be about the fun, the thrill, the excitement. It wasn't supposed to get so out of control, so bad that they couldn't stop it.

* * *

Eric thought he died and went to heaven.

As his eyes scanned the classroom, he saw the wall covered with sci-fi movie and television show posters, even obscure ones which only hardcore fans would know about, a vast collection of comic books and graphic novels neatly alphabetised in boxes. A phalanx of people were either chattering and cackling away in small circles, or traipsing around to go mingle in those little groups. He especially loved the sight of some dressed up in renowned costumes because he had always wanted to cosplay.

As much as he loved Cornelia and as much as she embraced his extremely nerdy side, he had never been able to be his fully geeky self around her. She wasn't really into sci-fi or anime or comic books, and he didn't mind at all. She tried, though. She went to the movies with him, to autograph signings in stores with him, hell she even went to a con with him once. But the thing was, she tagged along so he'd have someone to accompany him, not because she really wanted to be there. Therefore he couldn't exactly discuss everything with her to the full extend that he had wanted. Like the one time they'd gone to a con, he was too embarrassed to wear the _Luke Skywalker_-outfit his mom had sewed for him to the con. He remembered Cornelia trying to coax him into it, even offering to don a _Princess Leia_ look to match, but he refused firmly.

Later on, he realised he was being silly. If he wanted to cosplay, he should go for it because everyone had different interests and he shouldn't be ashamed of having his. But by then he didn't have the opportunity to do it, considering the circumstances which were forced upon him.

"Hi," a girl suddenly greeted him cheerfully. Her stature was petite and she was sporting a _Nono_-outfit, complete with a wig for the long pink hair. She seemed to have the same energy and zest as the anime character. That or she was one hell of an actress, he thought. "You're new, aren't you?"

"Oh, euhm, yeah," he replied weakly, blinking out of his reverie.

"Can I help with anything?"

"I'm interested in joining the club."

She smiled. "Great! It's nice having more members. I'm not in charge, though, so you'll have to talk to Uriah about it. I'll go get him for you."

"Thanks."

With a nod, she went off in search for the young lad. His eyes kept glued on her, regarding how she zigzagged her way through the crowd, as though she was trapped in a tiny maze, and then stopped when she came face to face with a red-headed kid who was only a few inches taller than her. He watched on as the two of them exchanged words, while Hay Lin pointed in Eric's direction before leading the boy to him.

"This is Uriah. He will tell you what you have to do to join," she offered and was about to go mingle with the rest but then turned back around briskly. "I'm sorry but I didn't catch your name before."

"Eric, Eric Lyndon." He extended his hand politely to her, with a small smile.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Hay Lin," she replied, wrapping her fingers around his and gave it a quick shake before leaving the two guys to talk business.

Eric channelled his attention on Uriah, once the short girl left their sight, and shook his hand as well.

"Well, Eric. First, I'd like to welcome you to our sci-fi club. I'm glad to see more people interested. However, I do advise you to perhaps attend this meeting first. If you enjoyed it, and still want to, you can sign up. You can come to me after the meeting is done. Just signal me by raising your hand. I'm telling you this because I've had plenty of folks signing up previous years who didn't bother to show up after the first time. Not knowing our exact number has been tricky for administration because we organise lots of events in teams."

"Fair enough."

"Ok. If you have any questions after the meeting, I'll be happy to answer them for you. And I'm sure you can turn to Hay Lin as well. She's always been a people person, ready to help out wherever she can. Anyways, I have to start the club's meeting now so go ahead and pick a seat," Uriah said, giving him a quick pat on the back before ambling over to the head of the room.

Eric took a glance at the vacant seats and chose the one in the back corner. He figured since he was there to observe only, he shouldn't sit in the front nor in the middle. Besides, he felt more comfortable sitting someplace out of focus.

"Can I sit here?" Hay Lin asked suddenly, a warm smile across her face.

"Sure," he simply answered, a bit startled since she had appeared out of nowhere.

Her smile brightened and she moved to plop down on the chair next to him. Once she crossed her legs into the lotus position (he had no idea that it was possible to do so on such a small chair but evidently she proved him wrong), she lifted her wig a tad to dig her fingers in and scratch.

"These things are so itchy," she muttered, her nose scrunched up as she tried to scratch her vexation away. "I really should stop wearing them. I'm dreading there's some horrible rash starting underneath my hair."

He chuckled. "Bright side is no one will be able to see it, then."

She laughed, cocking her head to make eye contact again. "Positive attitude. I like that," she stated, a half-smile playing at the corner of her lips. "I'm sorry, but you look awfully famil—,"

Uriah's voice interrupted her as he began the meeting by welcoming everyone and by listing all the items on the day's agenda. Hay Lin was immediately silent as she listened to every word the lad was uttering. Eric was listening too, but not as intently as the Asian girl next to him. His attention was focused elsewhere as he browsed through the brochure of the club he'd picked up the week before with mild curiosity.

After a while, though, she leaned towards Eric, whispering, "Don't I know you from somewhere? I could swear I do. You look so familiar." A pause and Eric's curiosity peaked when the girl was staring at him through squinted eyes. It was now that he noticed that despite having a different and darker colour, they exuded the same warmth and sweetness as Cornelia's. "Oh wait," she continued, still whispering but her tone rising just a smidge, a confident grin appearing, "I know! You were at Starbucks last Saturday. With that blonde girl."

"You mean Cornelia?"

"I don't know her name but she was tall and stylish. Not to mention very pretty."

Eric smiled, blushing. "Yeah, that's Cornelia."

"Is she your _girlfriend_?" she queried inquisitively, raising her eyebrows suggestively.

Eric's blush increased so much that he felt his ear tingle and flush crimson. "Er, no," he responded, timidly as he averted his eyes to his feet.

"Oh, sorry. I really thought you two were together since you two seemed so close. Sister then?"

"No, she's not my sister. She's _just_ my best friend."

"Why the emphasis on just?" she asked, teasingly, "Do I smell a hint of resentment there?"

He cast his gaze back on her, frowning, "You're very nosy for someone whom I met less than a half hour ago."

"I'm sorry," she apologised sincerely, feeling incredibly embarrassed.

"It's ok." He shrugged, offering a small smile.

"I don't want to overstep my bounds but I feel like it's easy to talk to you. And I tend to blurt stuff out."

The small smile on Eric's face split into a huge, genuine grin, and he exhaled shortly. "You didn't, though. Overstep your bounds, I mean. It was a harmless question and a harmful truth."

She looked at him quizzically until she pieced the puzzles together herself, mouthing a surprised 'o'. It was apparent he wasn't going to elaborate and delve deeper into the topic.

"Do you have any sisters?" she merely asked instead, dodging the previous subject.

"No, no sisters. I had a brother."

"Past tense?"

Something flickered in his eyes and suddenly, they were cool, guarded, darker.

"Yeah, he—he, ehrm, passed away a few years ago."

"My condolences," she offered, feeling bad for bringing it up.

"Again, it's ok. I've been able to put it behind me. Sort of."

She softly placed her hand on his shoulder, offering some support. "I never had a sibling. I've always wanted one. So, it might be a tiny consolation, but in a way you're lucky to have had one."

"Thanks," he muttered. He had to admit that she was right. Somehow it was easy to talk to her. He never really talked about his deceased brother but he was glad he was able to confide in her, even if it was by just mentioning him.

"You're welcome," she replied with her perpetual smile spread on her lips again. She then looked back at Uriah, eyeing how he was dividing everyone into groups of four and that he hadn't put Eric in one yet since he wasn't registered yet. "Looks like I have to join those three over there," she spoke up, not on a whisper-y tone anymore as everyone began to chatter enthusiastically, "Would you like to have dinner together afterwards? It'd be nice to get to know each other better."

"Sure. I'd love that," he nodded.

She smiled and then, pointing in the direction of her fellow teammates, she bowed her head a bit deeper as a temporary goodbye.

Eric smiled to himself as he watched her chit-chatting with the three people of her group. It was long due for him to make more friends besides Cornelia. And, as his eyes locked with Hay Lin's, he was positive he had found a new one already.

* * *

"You have to help me out here."

The other rolled her eyes, and glanced at her roommate briefly, assessing the situation completely within a couple of seconds. She quickly returned her concentration back to the novel she was reading.

"You're going to look great no matter what you wear," she told Elyon coolly, but not necessarily insincerely, as she turned over a page.

"Corneliaaaa," Elyon pleaded, rummaging through all the different items of clothing she had thrown carelessly on her bed. "I don't know what to wear and I have to look perfect for this stupid event that I don't even want to attend," she rambled as she searched through the pile of clothes for an outfit she'd deem worthy.

Cornelia sighed shortly, snapping her book shut and laying it down on the nightstand beside her, then jumped up from her bed swiftly to scoot next to the slightly panicked girl. Her eyes scanned every sweater, cardigan, dress, etc on Elyon's bed and hmm'd loudly.

"I think I have something in my closet that would absolutely suit you," she finally said, and when Elyon smiled hopefully at her, she went to get the outfit. "Here you go."

She was enveloped in a huge hug, as the smaller girl heaved a sigh of relief and gratefully accepted the mauve-coloured wrap dress with a tiny bow on the left part of the waistline.

"This is so pretty. I'm eternally grateful," Elyon thanked her, "I'm going to go change."

Cornelia giggled, amused at the giddiness of her friend. She still didn't like attending college, but she was relieved that at least she got along with her roommate. She wasn't comfortable going to the classes or go to the library or go eat in the dining hall, where she had to sit among all those students. She simply preferred being in the background, not have any kind of interaction with people.

She'd been hurt once. She wouldn't be able to go through that much sorrow again.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. She heard Elyon shouting through the bathroom door panelling that it must be her friend and if she could open it.

She did as asked and couldn't believe who was standing at the other side. She could feel her cheeks burning with shame and her mouth parting with shock.

It turned out her orientation leader, that Caleb guy, was Elyon's friend, the very friend who was accompanying her to the party.

She noticed how his lips curled into a seemingly delighted grin.

"Hi. I assume you're the here for Elyon. She's busy getting ready," she said meekly, really not knowing what else to say to him and instead remained lingering at her dorm's door.

"Can I wait for her inside?" he asked, seemingly having waited for her to offer him it and grown impatient.

She gaped, flustered at the lack of her politeness. "Sure, sure," she uttered as she stepped aside to make room for him and then closed the door behind her.

"Thanks," he responded, still grinning. It made her all the more nervous. She couldn't pinpoint exactly why but being around him was more uncomfortable than being around multiple people. "How are you doing?"

"Okay. You?"

His grin switched into a soft smile. "Okay, too."

She shifted on her feet and he held back, casually, watching Cornelia's contemplative face.

"I believe I never properly thanked you for saving me that day," she said shakily, "So uhm—thank you."

"Hey, I couldn't just let you choke to death. Funny how I didn't know you're bunking with one of my best friends."

"It's always been a small world, I suppose."

"That it has," he mused whilst looking around the dorm, "You two decorated it nicely here. Or was it just you? I know for a fact that Elyon's taste isn't this good."

Just then, Elyon came floating into the room and smacked the elder boy on the arm playfully.

"Ow," he winced, rubbing his arm.

Elyon frowned. "Oh, big faker. As if that hurt you."

He broke into a smile and then kissed her hello on the cheek.

"You look lovely," he complimented as she twirled around for him, and then added, "Perhaps I was wrong before."

"Thanks. It's Cornelia's."

"Ah, the explanation," he teased, winking at Cornelia who looked on entertained at the interaction between the two.

"Very funny," she mumbled, scowling, and then recovered to turn to Cornelia, "I apologise for his childish behaviour."

Cornelia merely smiled in response.

"We should get going," Caleb told Elyon as he glanced at his watch in a sudden haste. Elyon nodded, picking up her purse from her desk and opening the door.

"Bye, Cornelia." She nodded in the taller girl's direction and Caleb followed her suit about to close the door behind them but then re-opened it, sticking his head inside the room.

"Won't you like to join us? We can sneak you in."

Cornelia's expression froze, as Elyon stared at Caleb incredulously.

"Oh," she started, a bit taken aback at the invitation, "That's okay. I'd feel like I'd be intruding since it was invite-only. But thanks for asking!"

She could see Caleb's smile falter. "Well, I'll see you around then," and with that he and Elyon left for the party.

Cornelia marvelled. It'd been a long time since a guy had asked her out. But no matter how cute she thought Caleb was, she wasn't ready to interact with guys like that. And she doubted she ever would be.


End file.
